Pro Field Report

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
December 14, 2020
Submitted:
December 14, 2020
Observer:
SAC - Savage
Zone or Region:
Soldier and Wood River Valley Mtns
Location:
Soldiers: Couch Summit/Salt Bowns (5700-8200', most aspects)

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
None Observed
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced

Snow Stability

Stability Rating: 
Very Good
Confidence in Rating: 
High
Stability Trend: 
Steady

Bottom Line

Snowpack is still generally stable as the 1-2 inches of new snow in the past 24 hrs was not enough of a load to change the stability equation. Lots of weak snow on W-N-E aspects...but no load/slab above the weak snow. In this area, southerly aspects have a stronger snowpack with multiple hard crusts. Check out a summary of the Soldier Mtns snowpack on YouTube at https://youtu.be/O94Isi1X3zY.

Media/Attachments

Snowpit on NW aspect near 8000' in the Soldier Mtns. The upper half of the snowpack is as weak as it gets - look out when it gets a slab on top of it.
Snowpit on SE aspect near 8000' in the Soldier Mtns, with lots of hard melt-freeze layers below the new snow at the surface.
Thin snow cover on a steep, SE aspect near 8200' in the Soldier Mtns.
Thin or non-existent snow cover on sunny slopes below 8400' near Elk Ridge in the Soldier Mtns.

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Mostly Sunny
Temperature:
20s F
Wind:
Light , NE

1" new at trailhead, 2-2.5" new snow at 8000'. Some isolated wind-loading in extreme terrain and isolated locations.

Snowpack Observations

Middle elevation shady slopes (NW-N-NE): see pit and photo...upper half is about as weak as it can get. Bottom half is hanging in there.
Middle elevation solar slopes (SW-S-SE): lots of very hard crusts, melt layers, and some facets but with perc columns in the FC layers.
Middle elevation margins/partially shady (W, E): ugly crust+FC matrix in upper half of the snowpack. May take some weight/load to make it fail, but it can.
Below about 7000'=shady slopes are all faceted to the ground, margins are a thin mess, and solars are dirt/sage.

Snowpit at 8000' on a SE aspect in the Soldier Mtns.
Snowpit on a NW aspect at 8000' in the Soldier Mtns.

Avalanche Problems

No avalanche problems at lower and middle elevations. There may have been some isolated wind slabs in extreme terrain near Smoky Dome.

Terrain Use

I avoided avalanche starting zones due to thin snow cover. I was not concerned with traveling in avalanche tracks or runout zones.